Genesis
by Northwest Sage
Summary: On their return trip to Cybertron, Optimus Prime and crew arrive to a world that has been unexpectedly changed... and are met by beings that, while different, are also eerily familiar to themselves.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a slight redo of my first fanfic attempt, written in late 2001 and early 2002. It incorporates characters from Generation One, Beast Wars, and Robots in Disguise._

**GENESIS**

Chapter 1

Optimus Prime stared hard at the image of Cybertron, displayed on the front view screen. It seemed like an eternity since he had last seen his beloved planet. "Time of arrival?" he asked.

Brawn was quick to respond. "Not soon enough." The tough minibot was more homesick than anyone else on board their ship, but nobody dared pointed it out. He'd have clobbered them on the spot.

Optimus silently agreed and leaned forward in his chair. "Contact Autobot base and inform them of our return." Prowl nodded and began to relay the message. "Feels good to finally be home," Prime sighed.

Suddenly, Prime shot up out of his chair. Something had caught his attention rather abruptly. "Magnify image- two hundred percent!"

Wheeljack complied, and soon the enhanced image came into focus for all to see. "What is that?" he asked.

Optimus walked over and stood directly in front of the view screen. "Magnify three hundred percent." The entire screen was filled with an even more detailed scan of Cybertron's image. Or, what should have been Cybertron. But this was a different planet than the one they had left behind. Very different indeed. "_Grass_?" Optimus thought to himself. "On Cybertron?"

"Prime," Prowl started, "I have an incoming message from base... sounds strange."

"Stranger than what we're seeing?" he asked in a hushed tone. "Put it on speakers, Prowl," Optimus ordered.

**"...IDENTIFY YOURSELF..." **

Optimus could sense the tension on the bridge growing, the situation quickly becoming more and more surreal by the second. He tried hard to remain calm. "This is Autobot Commander, Optimus Prime. My crew and I are returning from a deep-space mission. Who am I speaking to?"

Prowl looked up from his station, decorated with multi-colored buttons and switches, and informed Optimus of a visual message being received. "By all means, Prowl- put it on-screen."

What they saw on the view screen defied reality. Wheeljack turned and looked at Brawn in utter dismay, who shared the sentiment. Prowl, void of any logical explaination for what they were looking at, remained silent and still.

Both of the beings on the view screen resembled their beloved Optimus Prime; not completely identical but certain features were very similar. There were other beings standing behind them, and a lot of noise- hectic and hurried conversation- the details of which would come later. "With the way things have been happening, we were wondering whether or not you'd show up," one of them said.

Optimus kept his voice smooth and clear of any anxiety. "Has there been an incident? Has Autobot Base been attacked?" Brawn grew more uneasy with each passing word.

"You could say that," the taller form said. "Prepare to dock- we'll explain what we can to you once you're safe inside."

Prowl shot a glance at Optimus, relaying his concern without uttering a single word. "With all due respect," Optimus said, picking up on Prowl's vibes, "I don't think I can do that _until_ I know what's going on."

"Very well," the shorter one said. "First, though, I think an introduction is needed. I am Optimus Primal, leader of the Maximals- relatives of yours." His words hung strangely in the air.

The taller form, primarily red, now spoke. "And I am..." He paused briefly, bracing for how the following words would be met. He had a feeling they would be scoffed at, and he was right. "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots." He steadied himself for whatever outcry followed.

Brawn gave him what he had expected. "This is some type of Decepticon trick, Prime- don't listen to them!" He waited anxiously for the order to raise shields to be announced.

"On the contrary, Brawn," Optimus Primal said. There was a soothing effect in his tone, helping to keep things from deteriorating further. "For the time being, the Decepticons are the least of our troubles."

end of chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2

The recently arrived Optimus and his crew entered Autobot Base with a slight hint of precaution. Though not as trigger happy as Brawn, Optimus knew from years of experience to never let your guard down in any situation. His eyes scanned the room, searching for faces he found familiar. He found none.

"What happened to Blaster and the others?" Optimus asked. Blaster had remained behind to supervise the remaining Autobots, having been tasked with improving base security during Prime's deep-space mission. Tensions had been rising between them and the Decepticons, and an attack seemed imminent. Though Prime began to warm to the idea that the Decepticons were most likely not behind this recent string of events.

Optimus Primal shrugged his shoulders. "There was nobody here when I arrived... not one single soul aside from my team." Primal swung his arm back, drawing the larger Optimus Primes's gaze towards who he was referring to. "Rattrap, Rhinox, and Silverbolt."

"Silverbolt?" Brawn scoffed. The bot he saw before him was small and had an animalistic appearance. It was a far cry from the burly Aerialbot commander that Brawn was thinking of. "I don't think so."

The Fire Truck Prime spoke next. "As unlikely as it seems, it appears that somehow a crack in the time continuum has merged various realities into one."

Wheeljack and the others began to mingle with the Maximals and their alternate reality namesakes, leaving the three respective commanders alone for clarity.

"The impossible seems to be the probable," Optimus agreed. "But how did it happen? Have you any proof beyond your theory?"

"Proof?" Fire Engine Prime asked somewhat stunned. _Look around, he thought, what more proof do you need?_ "In my reality you don't exist. The first time I saw you was when we contacted your ship. Just like I'm sure you've never seen me before as well. And according to Primal..."

"That's enough," Optimus Primal interrupted hastily. "Chronal-Contamination is a nasty bit of business, and our hands are more than full at the present."

Optimus Prime glanced at the Maximal leader. "Agreed." For a moment his mind lingered on what possible information Fire Engine Prime was about to reveal. He let the thought die and refocused his attention. "How did this even happen? And why only a selected few and not all of our ranks?" Two interesting questions that had no immediate answer.

Primal shook his head. "I've wondered about that myself." A hopeful look cast his way led to him replying dryly, "No clue."

Fire Engine Prime added to the discussion. "We've been doing long-range scans, hoping to find anything that will help us figure out a way to undo whatever damage has caused this."

Optimus Prime turned away from the others. His optics found a picture on a nearby wall that he had never seen before, a weird symbol of various colors. It appeared to be flawless in design. "Have the scans found anything?"

The room fell deathly still. No movement. All background noise instantly ceased. It was as though Primus himself had entered the room. "Well?" Optimus repeated.

"Yes." Optimus Primal answered, in a cold and somber tone. He touched a few of the lit control buttons located to the right of his chair, and a holographic picture hovered above the central table. "Shortly before we contacted your ship, we detected a faint sign of energy plasma- more than likely coming from a type of ship. A type that doesn't match anything in the memory banks of the computers at our disposal."

"A ship?" Optimus asked. "Decepticons?"

"Unlikely," Fire Engine Prime answered. "Despite there being a rift in time, all Decepticons and Predicons share common programming, which our computers would have detected. It's something foreign to us."

Optimus grew concerned. "Foreign?"

Primal continued. "Before we could get a more detailed report, the energy plasma was gone. Almost like it cloaked, or something to that nature. Regardless, it isn't visible on our scanners anymore."

Optimus walked over and tilted his head, looking eye to eye with Primal. "Your tone of voice leads me to think you believe it was more than just a simple foreign ship. What is it?"

Fire Engine Prime typed something into the side panel, changing the holographic image. Now in the place of a mini-map of surrounding space, was an outline of a ship with gigantic measurements. The exact image of the ship could not be obtained, but the brief time the ship was visible did allow their scanners to make a basic outline. "If I were a betting 'bot," he sighed, "I'd say a whole lot of hurt."


	3. Chapter 3

Outside where the three heroic commanders were talking, the other Autobots and Maximals engaged in introductions. The way they were all seated and facing each other somewhat resembled the legendary Knights of the Round Table. "What did you say your name was again?" Wheeljack asked, pointing to the burly Maximal.

"Rhinox," he sighed, "For the _third_ time."

"Right," Wheeljack said, sounding apologetic. "Sorry... just trying to get everyone's name straight."

Rattrap leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up on the table. He interlaced his fingers and placed his hands casually behind his head. "Yep, we're really in it deep this time."

"Your team was first to arrive?" Prowl asked, looking intently at Silverbolt. The beastly Silverbolt nodded yes, leading to Prowl's next question. "What were you doing? What led you here?" It was hard for Prowl to keep from staring; this being that sat across from him was so different from the Aerialbot that shared his name.

Silverbolt sat up straight in his chair and tried to remember every detail of what happened. "We were on our way back to Cybertron. We had finally defeated the maniacal Megatron and his hordes, effectively ending the Beast Wars. We were looking forward to returning home. As we began to approach Cybertron, we noticed it had changed. Not long after we landed, the others showed up, and then yourselves."

"That's it?" Prowl asked. "No strange sensor readings? No bright flash of light? Nothing?"

A bot, resembling a bulldozer, added further insight. "That's how it was with us too. Nothing out of the ordinary. We were returning to Cybertron for some supplies and then -bam!- we land and find the Maximal Zoo Crew in here."

"I don't like you," Rhinox groaned, looking at the Autobot known as Wedge.

Brawn couldn't help but agree with Rhinox. "Wedge, is it?" Wedge nodded. "And you're Towline?" he continued, pointing at the one with a striking resemblance to his friend Hoist. Seeing he had gotten those names right, he turned towards the third member of their crew. "And you are?"

Any bot that had a horned bull pained on its torso had to be an interesting one. "Ironhide, member of the Spychangers."

Prowl and Wheeljack looked at each other in silent amusement. Brawn, however, was not silent. _"Ironhide?"_ he asked, as if he had misheard him the first time. He leaned in over the table. "Are you _sure_ about that?" Brawn's friends let out their laughter, leaving the fuming diminutive Ironhide to ponder returning to his former name of Ox.

Suddenly, the entire base shook violently for several seconds. It knocked everyone out of their chairs and down to the floor. Metallic sliding doors opened up, and the three Prime's stumbled out of their meeting room. "What's going on?" Fire Engine Prime yelled. "Are we under attack?"

Towline struggled to his feet and punched wildly into the control panel, searching for any signs of an enemy. He found none. "Nothing! Sensors are off-line!" he shouted back. And then, just as sudden as it had started it ended.

A lone voice broke the chaotic silence. "We're all gonna die," Rattrap sighed.

Optimus Prime walked up to an observation panel and began to request information on what just happened. The sensors still refused to respond, so he did it the old-fashioned way; he looked out the window with his own optics. "It appears to have been vibrational damage due to the chronal contamination," he informed the others. "Seems minimal damage was inflicted, just shook everything up a bit."

"And you know that... how?" Rattrap asked.

"I'm curious," Optimus continued, ignoring the Maximal's remark. "When you were perfoming your intial scans that eventually led to the discovery of the alien ship, did you notice any radio signal bounce-back originating from the vessel? Any life form scans of their own?"

Fire Engine Prime answered. "No, it paid no attention to Cybertron or to us... like it didn't even know we were here."

"Or like it was in a hurry and couldn't be bothered to slow down and take a peek of its own," Optimus Primal added, realizing how unusual the lack of being scanned had actually been.

Optimus Prime nodded his head. "Wheeljack?"

"Yes, Optimus?"

He relayed all the information gained from his earlier meeting. "Plot a destination course using the coordinates I've given you. I want to know where that ship is going."

"A ship that size?" Rattrap stated after comprehending the sheer mass of it, "Can go anywhere it pleases."

Wheeljack composed himself and did as requested. Taking what little data Towline had been able to attain, combined with his own warlock-like skill in re-wiring the ship's troubled controls to garner results, he forged a vague outline of where that ship was going. "Prime?" Wheeljack replied in a concerned tone which drew the leaders' attention.

"What?" a trio of voices asked.

"You're not going to like this," he added.

Optimus walked over to Wheeljack and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Where's it going, Wheeljack?" But Optimus knew the answer already. They all did. For whatever reason, they all knew what Wheeljack was going to say next. But it didn't make it any easier to hear.

"Earth."

end of chapter 3


End file.
